Doctor turned filmmaker is hoping his movie is a winner

Published: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 11:21 a.m.

HOUMA -- A local doctor headed up a team of amateur filmmakers tasked with making the best movie possible in just 48 hours.

He’ll find out Wednesday if the movie is a winner.

Called the 48-Hour Film Project, organizers spend a year visiting cities throughout the nation in search of film buffs eager to make their own movies.

A team leader is chosen to head up a crew on a quest to write, shoot, edit and create a musical score in just two days and two nights.

The contest was in New Orleans July 25-27, and that’s where Houma chiropractor Rory White, 50, got involved.

He got an up-close introduction to the international contest last year when he did some behind the scene work for the 2007 competition.

White had so much fun, he said, he decided to get involved again, in a much bigger way.

As team leader of a group dubbed "Spineless," he headed up a film that centers on a wild road trip to New Orleans, a topic that many locals are no doubt familiar with. The seven-minute film is titled "Wish (I’d Known You Better)."

His 50-member team included dozens of New Orleans residents and three others from Houma -- Mark Fanguy, who raises horses, Troy Liner, a pest-control employee, and White’s son, Easton White, a ninth-grader at Vandebilt Catholic High School.

Much of the movie, Cory White said, was filmed in the New Orleans area, so the scenery is likely to strike a chord with south Louisiana viewers.

The New Orleans films were screened July 31.

Winners will be announced at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday during the Purplesaurus Rex Indie Dance Party, Hostel New Orleans, 329 Decatur St.

The event is free.

The winning entry, which will be selected by a team of judges next week, will get a trophy and $5,000.

White called the experience "phenomenal" in spite of his sleep deprivation.

He estimates he got just three hours of sleep in three days because of the excitement and the hectic pace of filmmaking.

But the hard work exhibited by White and his team paid off, he said.

Of 26 teams in the New Orleans competition, his was just one of 13 that met the Sunday night deadline and one of seven that turned in a useable product.

"The others had major problems, like no sound or big black spots on the screen," he said.

White said feedback on his team’s entry has been good, and he is hopeful they will emerge as winners.

"A lot of people like it," he said. "I’ve been told we’re in the running" for a prize.

In 2007, about 30,000 filmmakers made 48-hour movies in 55 cities around the world.

The contest was so successful it grew into a 70-city challenge this year.

The contest aims to see how well participants can think on their feet.

The movie must be shot over the span of a weekend, and contestants must wait till Friday night to learn about the character, prop, line of dialogue and genre they must incorporate into their project.

In New Orleans, all films had to include a character named Ben or Beatrice Clooney (White’s film included both), a bouquet of flowers and the dialogue "I know a thing or two."

The genre, White said, was road movies, which led to his film’s title and plot line.

The contest has its roots in a May 2001 bet between filmmaker Mark Ruppert and his filmmaking partner Liz Langston.

They convinced several other Washington, D.C., filmmakers to form their own teams and join Ruppert to see if a film made in just 48 hours would "even be watchable."

That competition has since led to more than 100 others throughout the world.

<p>HOUMA -- A local doctor headed up a team of amateur filmmakers tasked with making the best movie possible in just 48 hours.</p><p>He’ll find out Wednesday if the movie is a winner.</p><p>Called the 48-Hour Film Project, organizers spend a year visiting cities throughout the nation in search of film buffs eager to make their own movies.</p><p>A team leader is chosen to head up a crew on a quest to write, shoot, edit and create a musical score in just two days and two nights.</p><p>The contest was in New Orleans July 25-27, and that’s where Houma chiropractor Rory White, 50, got involved.</p><p>He got an up-close introduction to the international contest last year when he did some behind the scene work for the 2007 competition.</p><p>White had so much fun, he said, he decided to get involved again, in a much bigger way.</p><p>As team leader of a group dubbed "Spineless," he headed up a film that centers on a wild road trip to New Orleans, a topic that many locals are no doubt familiar with. The seven-minute film is titled "Wish (I’d Known You Better)."</p><p>His 50-member team included dozens of New Orleans residents and three others from Houma -- Mark Fanguy, who raises horses, Troy Liner, a pest-control employee, and White’s son, Easton White, a ninth-grader at Vandebilt Catholic High School.</p><p>Much of the movie, Cory White said, was filmed in the New Orleans area, so the scenery is likely to strike a chord with south Louisiana viewers.</p><p>The New Orleans films were screened July 31.</p><p>Winners will be announced at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday during the Purplesaurus Rex Indie Dance Party, Hostel New Orleans, 329 Decatur St.</p><p>The event is free.</p><p>The winning entry, which will be selected by a team of judges next week, will get a trophy and $5,000.</p><p>White called the experience "phenomenal" in spite of his sleep deprivation.</p><p>He estimates he got just three hours of sleep in three days because of the excitement and the hectic pace of filmmaking.</p><p>But the hard work exhibited by White and his team paid off, he said.</p><p>Of 26 teams in the New Orleans competition, his was just one of 13 that met the Sunday night deadline and one of seven that turned in a useable product.</p><p>"The others had major problems, like no sound or big black spots on the screen," he said.</p><p>White said feedback on his team’s entry has been good, and he is hopeful they will emerge as winners.</p><p>"A lot of people like it," he said. "I’ve been told we’re in the running" for a prize.</p><p>In 2007, about 30,000 filmmakers made 48-hour movies in 55 cities around the world.</p><p>The contest was so successful it grew into a 70-city challenge this year.</p><p>The contest aims to see how well participants can think on their feet.</p><p>The movie must be shot over the span of a weekend, and contestants must wait till Friday night to learn about the character, prop, line of dialogue and genre they must incorporate into their project.</p><p>In New Orleans, all films had to include a character named Ben or Beatrice Clooney (White’s film included both), a bouquet of flowers and the dialogue "I know a thing or two."</p><p>The genre, White said, was road movies, which led to his film’s title and plot line.</p><p>The contest has its roots in a May 2001 bet between filmmaker Mark Ruppert and his filmmaking partner Liz Langston.</p><p>They convinced several other Washington, D.C., filmmakers to form their own teams and join Ruppert to see if a film made in just 48 hours would "even be watchable."</p><p>That competition has since led to more than 100 others throughout the world.</p><p>The 2008 tour started April 4 in Boston and wraps up in October.</p>